The Antinomic Pair of the Idyllic and Demonic Heroine in Valery Bryusov’s Cycles “Autumn Day” and “Snows”: A Generic Interpretation

Purpose. The article examines the change in the elegiac genre in V. Ya. Bryusov’s cycles “Autumn Day” and “Snows” with particular attention to the transformation of the lyrical addressee. The study also examines the chronotope of both cycles, emphasizing how spatial-temporal structures and symbolic landscape imagery participate in reshaping the genre. Special focus is placed on the two female figures of the lost beloved, interpreted through the semantic aura of their anthroponyms, Nina and Maria, which serve as markers of distinct emotional and cultural codes. Results. The analysis demonstrates that these female images are embedded in the broader Russian literary tradition that opposes two recurrent heroine types – the idyllic and the demonic – yet Bryusov complicates this binary through nuanced psychological and symbolic layering. In addition, the article examines how Bryusov’s possible use of allusions broadens the interpretive field of the elegiac narrative. In Snows, particular attention is given to typological parallels between the heroine and motives traceable to classical Chinese literature. The article also proposes a potential connection between the heroines and the Gnostic myth of Sophia, which enriches the metaphysical dimension within the elegiac plot. Conclusion. It is noted that Bryusov ultimately rejects a simple antithetical understanding of these types, instead developing their dynamic, antinomic interrelations as a means of renewing addressee in the elegiac genre.